Overview
- A technical helicopter rescue lifted two climbers from about 600 feet below the roadway near Hurricane Point after Big Sur Fire requested help on Saturday evening, Aug. 22.
- The Paso Robles CHP air unit H-70 lowered a rescue technician on a hoist who secured each climber in a Pelican rescue harness for two separate extractions to a nearby staging area.
- Rescue teams coordinated on the ground and in the air so extracted climbers could be brought to waiting personnel at the staging area and then moved to safety.
- Authorities confirmed both climbers were safely recovered but have not released their names, medical conditions, or details about how they became stranded.
- CHP called the operation a high-risk, low-frequency rescue that reflects specialized hoist training and comes as the nearby Timber Fire continued burning outside Hurricane Point’s evacuation zone.